Team USA was awarded the gold medal before they convened in Las Vegas in early July to prep for their Olympic run. Most talent on paper, most talent on the court. But the games had to be played. So what? They ran the table like everyone expected. Five and 0 preliminary record. Eight and 0 tourney record. Olympic records broken right and left in an eighty three point win over Nigeria. A steamrolling 32.125 point average margin of victory in tourney play. And, either intentionally or unintentionally, they gave us somewhat of a nail-biter in the final against Spain. The 107-100 capper didn’t match the 32-point Dream Team medal game scorching 20 years ago but a win is a win. Gold is gold.

Then there was the shoes of these Olympics. LeBron was the Nike Hyperdunk 2012 torch bearer, launching Nike’s latest flagship basketball shoe in the most visible way possible with extended MVP-like play throughout the games. Kobe, KD, Carmelo and CP3 took turns putting in load-carrying work in their USA colored signatures. Deron Williams and Iguodala gave new life to the Nike Zoom Hyperdunk 2011 Low. Russell Westbrook quietly unveiled the Nike Zoom Hyperfuse 2012 to the world. Kevin Love broke Swoosh ranks long enough to give his overseas endorser 361 Degrees some international shine. Then for the grand finale, LeBron and CP3 broke out the good stuff. We got to see the Nike LeBron X and Jordan CP3.VI in competition for the first time, a little preview of the next wave of kicks to watch for in the upcoming 2012-13 NBA season. The newly minted gold medalists then took the stand in what else, the Nike Air Force 1 Low 30th Anniversary. Heck of a run to whet fans’ appetites for Rio de Janeiro 2016, the supposed swan song for NBA players as Olympic athletes. Who knows what 2016’s team looks like? Is Kobe still active to play? Will there be injuries to keep the big guns out like Dwight and Dwyane this year? We should cherish this team for a little while longer. Like the 1992 group, we may never see it done this way again.